Don't Play with Time
by SY-chwan
Summary: Sanada Genichirou had always been fascinated with time. When he is given the opportunity of a life-time to travel into the past, he jumps in enthusiastically, not realising that his actions could very well change his entire future. -Tango Pair-
1. Fascination with Time

Wow, my first _ever_ Tango Pair! Okay…that's kind of a lie, but it _is_ the first Tango Pair fic I've ever posted. It's probably the first ever fic I thought of that focused solely on them two though. Hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Takeshi Konomi.

Summary: Sanada Genichirou had always been fascinated with time. When he is given the opportunity of a life-time to travel into the past, he jumps in enthusiastically, not realising that his actions could very well change his entire future.

**Don't Play with Time**

_Chapter 1: Fascination with Time_

"Kei-chan!" Sanada watched as the baker's daughter ran down the street, a tray of homemade muffins in her arms. "Kei-chan!"

"Slow down, Tohru-kun," a kind voice admonished, "or you'll drop those muffins your mother worked so hard to make."

The young girl blushed but slowed down none the less. Carefully placing the disposable tray upon the ground, she quickly shuffled back so that Kei-chan can receive her gifts. It was imperative that she was not too close to him; one should always keep their distance from a beggar because they were inevitably unhygienic.

"Do…do you like them," Tohru asked shyly as she played with her hair, "mother let me help this time."

Kei-chan's smile was warmer than sunlight and Tohru felt herself blush to the roots of her hair.

"Mou! Eat those later, Kei-chan!" a tiny boy protested from his place on the grass, "I want to hear the story!" His complaint was supported by many others who all sat in an arc precisely five feet away from an old man wrapped in rags.

"Patience, Akira-kun, there is still one more person we must wait for."

"Waaiiittt?" Akira moaned, "but I wanna hear the story noow!"

The ancient beggar ignored him and Sanada suddenly found himself staring into deep blue eyes.

_Eep!_ He quickly ducked behind the wall, but he had already been spotted.

"Are you not coming to join us, Genichirou-kun?"

Sanada didn't reply, choosing to stay behind the wall instead. He was of a high-class family; he couldn't really be seen amongst normal children surrounding a beggar, even if the aforementioned beggar _did_ tell wonderful stories.

"Sanada _never_ joins _anyone_," Akira announced superiorly, "he thinks he's better than the rest of us."

Sanada frowned, it wasn't his fault that his father was a very successful manager in the Inventory. How would that stupid, stuck-up, spoilt brat feel if-

"Now now, Akira-kun, I'm sure he has his reasons," Kei-chan's clear voice cut through Sanada's musings. "Come and join us whenever you're ready, Genichirou-kun," the old man called before settling into a comfortable position in his tattered blanket.

Sanada didn't move from his place, even though it was a little difficult to balance on such slippery metal beams when he was in a crouch. He was hiding behind the twenty-something feet tall partition that surrounded his house, nearly sitting on the giant metal structures that acted as emergency fire escapes. It was at times like these that Sanada wished walls were

still built with bricks and plaster like they did fifty years ago, that way he could have just drilled a hole instead of climbing up slippery bars so he could look over the top.

"Now, has anyone heard about how I got kicked out of my father's house?"

There was a mixture of answers though it was clear everyone wanted to hear it, whether it be the first or sixth time it had been told. Sanada himself certainly remembers it as it was one of his favourites. The great thing about Kei-chan is that all of his stories were real, had occurred during Kei-chan's childhood. And the reason he became a beggar was one of the longest and most detailed.

Strangely, Kei-chan never spoke of his life after getting kicked out, though Sanada would not notice this until he was in his mid-teens. When he finally asked, his mother had replied that being a beggar was too boring to hold anyone's attention and thus Kei-chan didn't bother to reiterate it. Sanada wasn't so sure; Kei-chan had an amazing ability to turn the most mundane actions into riveting and entrancing tales. But he had never dared approach the old man, let alone ask him such an obviously personal question. Therefore, the reasons Kei-chan never expanded on his life's tales remained unknown.

"Well, a fair number of you have. Can anyone remember the reason?" This was another thing about Kei-chan Sanada loved, he never forgot his audience and always included them in the story telling in some way. What Sanada would give to be able to sit amongst them, showing off how much he remembered.

"Yes, Hika-chan."

"Because you dropped the prized diamond in the pond," she said confidently. Sanada nearly snorted at how incorrect the answer was, but that would reveal that he was still listening and so he refrained.

There was a very specific reason as to why the story of Kei-chan's disownment became Sanada's favourite; it involved a man from the future.

* * *

Time.

The one existence that cannot be controlled. The workings behind time have eluded scientists for decades yet it was one of the world's first measurements.

No one can change time, until now.

Sanada waited nervously with all the others of the department, today was the day they announced the candidate for the trip, as well as the captain. For two years now they have managed to send inanimate objects and non-human animals back and forth through time and the generals have finally deemed it safe enough for humans to travel back.

_About time,_ Sanada thought, _it's only been a 100 per cent success rate so far._

"Oi, Sanada!" a clear, sincere voice cut through the air and Sanada nearly groaned out loud. Matsui, honest, open and lives his life out of a rulebook. Also one of those people who made sure that the department didn't send someone back into the past until they carried out the very last procedure as stated in their employment manuals.

Nevertheless, Matsui was a valued colleague, and it wouldn't do to aggravate him now, especially if he could very well be the captain of this mission. Because this was to be such a dangerous and complicated mission, the captain was to personally choose the team in order to avoid internal conflict. The captain himself was to be chosen from a probability machine that will statistically work out, according to abilities, who was the best person for the job.

"What do you think your chances are of getting captain, Sanada-san?" Matsui asked in his annoyingly polite voice when he reached him. Another thing that annoyed him about Matsui was that he knew if Matsui became captain, his own chances of being in the team will drop to zero.

"I don't know, the same as everyone else's I guess," Sanada replied noncommittally. In actual fact, he felt he had a very good chance. His leadership and field abilities were some of

the highest of the department, there were many people he was better than. However, Matsui was not one of those he knew he could defeat without effort. In fact, Matsui was probably as likely a candidate as himself.

"I think you'll get it to be honest," Matsui said as they walked along the corridor to the meeting hall where the announcement was to be made. "You've got the highest MC scores out of all of us."

"That's not the only thing they take into account," Sanada said, a slight frown marring his features. It wasn't like Matsui to be reserved. "You've got as good a chance as anybody."

"Oh they won't pick me," Matsui said with a smile, "I'm too clear-cut; they don't think I'll be able to make spontaneous decisions if an emergency came up."

Sanada wanted to agree, but something about Matsui's demeanour told him Matsui was disappointed that his reputation had blocked his chances. Matsui may be very textbook-like, but he was also verbally opinionated and so if he didn't get captain there was very little chance of him being in the crew. Besides, Sanada wasn't so sure that Matsui would not be able to think spontaneously when placed in such a situation.

The two were forced to end their conversation as they reached the meeting hall. Many hopefuls stood around wishing each other good luck, Sanada felt himself nodding his thanks to various people he passed. Matsui, having found his own friends, had headed off in a different direction, much to Sanada's relief, and Sanada was free to find a seat to hear the announcement.

Sanada chose a seat at the back, hidden beneath heavy shadows in hopes that no one would notice him. It wasn't that he was exactly anti-social, he was just feeling a tad bit too excited to be able to hold any decent conversation right now.

Not that any conversation would have lasted long; the director of their project stood up almost as soon as Sanada sat down. "Eh hem," the director said, tapping the thin microphone for attention, "eh hem!" The crowd quietened down and Sanada tried not to hold his breath as the director began the announcement.

"As you all know, the board of directors have finally come to a decision regarding the time travel team." A loud cheer ripped through the hall; it had been a long wait. "After endless analysis of each and every single one of you, the computer system has decided the following person to be the most likely candidate for a successful mission."

It was absolutely silent as everyone waited with baited breaths and jumpy hearts. Sanada felt himself tense up, this was it, this was what he's been working towards for so long.

"Congratulations…_Captain_ Sanada."

Cheers and catcalls erupted from the hall as everyone clapped and cheered. Even though there were many people who had wanted the title of 'captain', none of them felt there was any bias in the judging. Sanada was, after all, one of the most reliable and resilient worker they have ever known and many of them would be honoured if they were chosen by him as part of the team.

Sanada, himself, could not remember ever feeling so relieved and elevated. One of his life's dreams was finally coming true. He was going to go into the past. He was going to travel through _time_.

* * *

The team was scheduled to leave in one week. Sanada took this time to visit his family. The journey itself should take no longer than a millisecond, and if all goes well the entire team will be back in exactly six months and a day. Provided everything goes well of course, there was also the possibility of them not returning for two or more years.

Theoretically, they could return in the blink of an eye, spending 6 months in the past and then returning the future with only a minute difference between their leaving and arriving.

However, because they were to give regular report, this suggestion was rejected. Not to mention it could create extremely hazardous health and safety risks.

Of course, the biggest problem in an experiment like this was obviously how they were going to affect their present by appearing in the past. Though they had promised their correspondent access to many items of the future, it was unanimously decided that they should try to keep as much information about future technology as possible a secret. Though if they somehow fail in that aspect it shouldn't have too much of an effect. They_were_ only going back 60 years.

The week passed by in a blur; from being congratulated in every direction to preparing for the journey, Sanada barely found time to visit his favourite neighbour on the street. It was on the day of his departure, barely an hour before he was due to return to the Inventory, that he managed to escape from his loved ones and headed to the little alcove where an old beggar sat.

"Genichirou-kun," Kei-chan greeted with a gentle smile, exactly the way Sanada remembered him. "How have you been?"

"It's going great, thank you," Sanada nodded in return. He had been waiting for the opportunity to tell Kei-chan the news all week. "I'm due to leave on a 6-months assignment."

"Oh?" a gentle inquiry, Kei-chan was always so gentle and his voice so smooth. Watching Kei-chan speak was like looking at a feather flying in the breeze, dreading its fall when the wind slows down and becoming secretly elated as the breeze picks up, swirling the feather around and preventing it from hitting the ground.

"Yes," Sanada tugged out a few notes, he would be the strong wind that will push the feather higher than it had ever gone in the hope that it will not drop before his return. Kei-chan has long since passed the age where his health would start diminishing. "There is a chance that I won't be back for a year though." He drops the credit into the beggar's tin three feet away from its owner.

"Where are you going, Genichirou-kun?" the slow, melodic sound carried itself to Sanada's ears.

"Back."

Kei-chan rose an eyebrow, "Back?"

One monosyllabic inquiry and Sanada couldn't hold it in anymore, he had always been fascinated with time. "Back, we're going back to the past. The Inventory's finally made a time machine." He struggled to hide the grin, it wouldn't do for his reputation to be grinning like an idiot, however long he's been hoping to see this day.

Kei-chan, on the other hand, had no qualms with smiling as he leaned back against the metallic structure he resided beside. "Genichirou-kun," Kei-chan said, looking up at him with beautiful blue eyes. As Sanada looked into them, he couldn't help notice the aged face that accompanied the twin jewels.

Time had not been kind to Kei-chan, his face was heavily wrinkled and he was abnormally thin. Despite the life with which he tells his story, it was truly a wonder that Kei-chan had lasted this long, even with such blatant health deteriorations.

Yet there was one thing Kei-chan managed to retain and that was his inner beauty, which shone through his eyes like starlight. Every time Sanada saw them he would almost forget to breathe and it was with this sensation that he waited for Kei-chan to continue. "Do you remember the reason I was kicked out of my father's house?"

"Of course," this time Sanada did smile, it _was_ his favourite story after all. "You fell in love with the man from the future and ran after him when he was due to return to his own time."

Kei-chan nodded approvingly, and if it wasn't for the self-control that came with adulthood, Sanada would have preened with pride.

"I burst through the door just in time to see the ship disappear."

Something inside Sanada twisted, though he was not sure whether it was due to anger or sympathy…or perhaps a mixture of both. It had always irritated him; that the man who had managed to win Kei-chan's love abandoned him at such a critical moment in his life.

That little detail always managed to leave Sanada near speechless, what does one say to revelations like that?

Thankfully, Sanada was spared the need to respond by the beeping alarm on his belt. _20 minutes._ He had to go.

Turning to Kei-chan, Sanada found the old man smile at him, bright eyes sparkled with the excitement Sanada himself was feeling. It was nearly time.

"I hope you have a pleasant journey, Genichirou-kun."

Sanada nodded in reply and rushed off, he had really only meant to stay for half an hour. The alarm was a caution signal.

In his hurried state, Sanada failed to notice Kei-chan's eyes following him until he had gone around the corner and out of sight.

"It's finally time, ah--n?"

* * *

The past was, to put it plainly, not really that different. They had landed just less than a decade before hover cars were invented but aside from that and the brick houses, most things were the same, or similar. The biggest difference was probably the use of fossil fuels. Sanada, along with the rest of his team, found it rather disorientating to see gas cookers being lit and fumes of smoke trailing behind buses. Not to mention the spacious and dangerous petrol stations.

"We will be there in ten minutes," their correspondent said from further up this giant length of a car. Sanada could barely remember its name when he first saw it; limousines had pretty much vanished with the appearance of drawn-carriages and the captain could easily see why. It was strange that people of the past found limousines, with their low seats and shallow ceilings, comfortable. Especially when compared to drawn-carriages which could rival the size of an old-fashioned caravan.

It was fortunate that the correspondent they found was so rich, Sanada was sure things would have been a lot more complicated and difficult otherwise. Though there had been a couple drastic changes between the 60 years of the past and the present, some things - such as the advantage of money - will never change.

"I do apologise for such short notice, by the way," their correspondent, an intelligent man of a rather short stature, said. "It was originally going to be next week but a contract between two very prestigious companies have just fallen through and that messed up a lot of my friends' schedules."

'It' referred to the party their correspondent, a Mr. J. Hatfield, was throwing that evening. And though the team did not run into any problems during the time travel, Sanada knew they were all tired from the journey.

"I hope you will all concede to join me though," Mr. Hatfield continued, "it will be an excellent opportunity for you to experience the life of your past first hand."

"I would be delighted to attended, Mr Hatfield, however, I believe my team is in need of rest." It would be rude to outright reject their host so easily, and it was true that the party would be a good opportunity for refined observation. Yet his team were truly drained and Sanada was sure no good will come from them all attending. The appearance of their captain should be enough to suffice for the first evening though.

"Of course, of course," Hatfield was nodding enthusiastically. "Though I daresay I may need to lend you a tuxedo. The formal wear of your time is going to set off every one of my security programs."

"That would be very much appreciated." With the way Hatfield was talking, one would think their team came from a different planet. Sanada wondered how they would all fare during their six months here.

The limousine soon stopped in front of a giant mansion the width of at least twenty tennis courts, Sanada was almost embarrassed with the way his team were all staring wide-eyed at the brick building.

By the time they all settled into their rooms, the first of the party guests had arrived.

Mr. Hatfield came bustling in about fifteen minutes later, ushering Sanada to another room in which contained a stylist and over twenty different tuxedos all in his size. In no time at all, he was dressed and ready, quietly following a maid towards the main ballroom which served as the centre of the party.

As he descended the giant staircase that adorned the entrance hall, Sanada desperately searched for Mr. Hatfield amongst the crowd. Being the host of the party, Mr. Hatfield had rushed off to tend to his other guests before Sanada had a chance to ask about the team's alias whilst they lived in the house. Thankfully, Hatfield found him before he had even stepped off the bottom of the staircase.

"Ah Sanada, there you are," Hatfield said, grabbing his arm and steering him towards the ballroom. "Come come, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Mr. Hatfield," the problem of their identity needed to be addressed before he was introduced to anyone. "About my purpose in this house…"

Hatfield turned to him, momentarily puzzled, until he understood the question being asked. "Ah yes, of course. Don't worry, as long as they know you are all my friends, no questions will be asked." Hatfield smiled reassuringly at him even as he pulled him towards a young man wearing a classic, form fitting, black tuxedo. "Now Sanada, come and meet Keigo Atobe."

At the mention of his name, Atobe turned around, bright blue eyes sparkling like icicles. Sanada felt his breath hitch and lodged in his throat. There, standing before him…was a younger version of Kei-chan.

--_To be continued…_

Wai! It's finished!! XD Tango Pair needs some love.

I actually wrote one of the scenes twice without realising (I thought the original one was meant to happen much further down the timeline for some reason). So there was a long tiring and difficult job of trying to incorporate both versions into one. -.-U

**Please review!!**

Edit: Thank you lupuslupin for pointing out my mistake. I thought I had deleted it but obviously didn't; this is what I get for only proofreading it once. Thanks again, and also thanks for reviewing.


	2. A second, first meeting

I always do this, write the same scene twice in different documents and ending up having a complete clash that I need to re-word into the same thing. Yes, it delayed the chapter in being finished, blame that if you want. :P Either way, I hope you still like it.

Disclaimer: Prince of Tennis belongs to Takeshi Konomi.

Summary: Sanada Genichirou had always been fascinated with time. When he is given the opportunity of a life-time to travel into the past, he jumps in enthusiastically, not realising that his actions could very well change his entire future.

_Previous chapter:_

_Sanada felt his breath hitch and lodged in his throat. There, standing before him…was a younger version of Kei-chan._

**Don't Play with Time**

_Chapter 2 A second, first meeting._

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think; barely aware of the fact that his host was currently introducing him, Sanada felt his entire body freeze in what must have been shock.

It was Kei-chan; undoubtedly it was Kei-chan. Only Kei-chan had such brilliantly blue eyes…

"Atobe, this is Genichirou Sanada," Mr. Hatfield said, "he's the head scientist staying here for sixth months."

The young man nodded, a tempting smirk set upon his lips. "Good evening, Sanada-san."

"Atobe's the son of an old associate of mine," Mr. Hatfield was saying. But Sanada was not listening, hearing that voice without breathless rasps, feeling it thread through the air so smoothly…it was better than the most beautiful melody.

This was Kei-chan…a _younger_ Kei-chan. That fact itself was still so difficult to grasp, Sanada nearly reached forward to touch him, just so he could make sure this was all real.

Kei-chan had spoke of his admirers of course, about how they would trip and fall over themselves just so they could please him. Yet he had _never_ imagined he would be so handsome.

Smooth, alabaster skin replaced the hundreds of thousands of wrinkles that had lined Kei-chan's face; soft, silky hair adorned his head instead of coarse, grey wires; and those lips…perfectly pink with a full set of teeth behind them, so different to the yellow, decaying mess of Kei-chan's sunken mouth.

Mr Hatfield was still prattling on, something about Atobe and a south wing, whatever that meant. Sanada couldn't help but ignore everything as his eyes took in the magnificence that was Kei-chan in his youth.

For a strange second, Sanada wondered what he should do. It was a stupid question of course, so idiotic Sanada could have smacked himself. There was nothing he needed to do, Kei-chan's past was not a life he should interfere with. Any actions that are based on information from the future had the potential to disrupt the entire balance of the world. They came as observers, not informers.

_Though it'd been interesting to see what Kei-chan was like in his youth._

Unfortunately, before Sanada and Atobe Keigo had so much as a chance to actually converse, Mr. Hatfield had dragged him away and into a conversation with a group of self-gratified 

'scientists', who turned out to be rich men that reiterated others' research and acting as if they themselves conducted them.

As the evening went on, Sanada continued to glance at Atobe, watching him flutter around social circles like a butterfly dancing around flowers. It wasn't until dinner that Sanada actually came within earshot of the young Kei-chan.

They were two seats away from each other, amongst twelve others at the large circular table they were guided to. The chair between them was empty at first, but Atobe had been engrossed in a discussion with an elegant woman in navy blue, forcing Sanada to wait for an opportunity. But by the time Sanada was given a chance to strike up a conversation, the empty seat had been taken. And as the dinner started and finished, Sanada wondered if it was really that good of an idea to find out more about this younger Kei-chan.

-

It was rather flattering, to be paid so much attention when you have barely met a person. Even as one as full of natural charisma as himself, Atobe was sure even he had never induced so strong of a focus as he was experiencing right now.

_Was he still looking?_ A quick glance to his left; just fast enough to catch the slight swing of hair that accompanied a swift turn of head. Yes, he was still looking.

Sanada Genichirou, a head scientist at some secret research laboratory Atobe did not care to remember. They had been introduced earlier in the night but were given little chance to converse. A shame really, despite his relatively stern attitude, Atobe would have liked to have spoken to the scientist a little more. Maybe find out why he fascinated him so. Then again, Hatfield-san had said he was staying in the mansion for the next six months, so he was sure he'd be given an opportunity.

For now, he should concentrate on his ultimate purpose for being at this party.

"Oh, what would my daughter say to that!"

Giggles

Laughter

And Atobe excused himself from another group of valuable acquaintances

That was his unshakable routine at any gatherings; increase social relations, create new connections. It was one of his jobs, and a job that he excelled at, and a job that constantly increased his father's pride in him as a son.

Not that it wasn't highly enjoyable of course. Making women fawn all over him; watching men eye him with admiration, it was all so delightful.

Yes, Atobe loved his life.

It wasn't until dinner, that Sanada crossed Atobe's mind once again. Coincidentally, they ended up at the same table, two seats away from each other. They did not manage to speak to each other; in fact, Atobe did not even notice him until partway through his conversation with Mrs Cuttlebrie. He was in the middle of explaining the stupidity in the investment choices of someone they knew when he had felt an intense _presence_ piecing through him from behind. Atobe, curious as to who was staring at him so unflinchingly, had turned around for less than a second. Their eyes had met, just long enough for Atobe to determine the face that accompanied them, before he moved back round, continuing the conversation without any unnatural pause.

Atobe would later argue that that was the single interaction they shared that evening.

-

The luxurious dinner, complete with seven courses, was followed by a coffee and tea break to let the guests relax and digest, as well as further socialisation, before orchestral music sounded through the air in a bid to encourage dancing.

Sanada met many people and discussed many things with them. Yet as he stood at the edge of the dance floor resolutely not dancing, only one thing registered in his mind.

Atobe Keigo was _very_ different to Kei-chan.

In fact, if it were not for those eyes, Sanada would never have known them to be the same person.

Kei-chan was kind, gentle, comforting. And most of all, warm and inviting.

Atobe, on the other hand, was an icy blizzard ready to sweep you off your feet, leaving you not only in awe but also in the freezing cold.

"Can I not tempt you into at least one dance?" the pretty brunette besides him said.

"I don't know how to dance," Sanada declined as politely as he could. She had been extremely informing, thanks to her vast knowledge of petrol-run cars, and had given him a deeper insight as to why the emergence of the hovers became such a turning point in the history of transport. All of which would be useful for his report.

Now if he could only remember her name…

"A real man should always know how to dance," a confident voice drifted over to them and Sanada felt his breath shorten involuntarily. "And I believe it was time you accompany a real man, Miss White."

"Atobe! My my, you shouldn't tease me so."

Sanada blinked at the abrupt change of attitude in his companion. The girl might as well have swooned for all the subtlety she was showing.

"I do apologise, it is not intentional." _Liar._ "You just have this unexplainable affect on me." _He's probably said that to nearly every girl he met this evening._ Though obviously with a slight deviance in wording. Atobe may have been admired because of his exquisite looks, but his behaviour was far from discouraging.

"I hope you don't mind if I take this lovely lady for an exciting quickstep," Atobe said with a casual smirk as he offered an arm to a giggling Miss White. "I'll be sure to bring her back in once piece."

Sanada did not give so much as a nod of acknowledgement before Atobe whisked the girl off to circle the dance floor. Despite the blatantly obvious difference between Atobe Keigo and Kei-chan, Sanada was still finding it hard to speak in his presence. Being face to face with Atobe induced a conflicting mix of emotion in him; part of him felt obliged to please him just because he was Kei-chan's past, whilst the rest of him knew it would be better to not feed that oversized ego.

_How are they the same person?_

--

All evenings must end, and Sanada could not be more glad when he was allowed to return to his room for a good night's rest. They may have been here for less than a day, but there was plenty of work to be done tomorrow. Not to mention he'd have to write a report about that party.

Granted, his superiors had implied that they would not be penalised if they used the first few days to get accustomed to their environment and relaxed a little. However, Sanada felt that there should be little difficulty to become accustomed whilst working. In fact, the sooner they started their research, the more information they would have for analysis.

All the guests should be returning to their own expensive mansions, using their expensive, petrol-run cars. That of course, included one Atobe Keigo…

Sanada felt himself sighing in exhaustion. It had truly been an experience, to meet the young and overly handsome Kei-chan. Yet in a way, he was glad that it would be unlikely to see Atobe again. Though it may be rather irrational on his behalf, he wanted to remember Kei-chan as the kind beggar who told stories with such energy and life, not as a pampered little prince who won people's heart without a care in the world.

It was nice to have seen Atobe Keigo…but once was enough for him.

--

The next morning came all too soon, but Sanada still managed to dress himself before any of his team members woke up. It was then a tiring task of making sure everyone was attentive and awake enough before they all headed down for the first meal.

Sanada pushed open the double doors that lead to the breakfast parlour…and almost froze immediately at the sight that met him. Thankfully he regained control of his body in time to continue walking briskly forward as if nothing was wrong.

"Ah, Sanada!" Mr. Hatfield exclaimed from the head of the table, "and I'm glad every one else seem to have regained energy to partake in breakfast. Did you all sleep well?"

"Yes, very well, thank you," Sanada gave the obligatory reply for his entire team. But his eyes were not focused on Mr. Hatfield. No, they were trained on a regal figure seated to their host's left.

"Good morning, Sanada-san," Atobe smirked at him over his coffee cup.

Sanada managed to force out a nod, despite the sudden stiffness in his neck. "Good morning." _What on earth was Atobe doing here?_

"Atobe, as I'm sure you've guessed, this is Genichirou Sanada's team of scientists! They look wonderfully organised don't they?" Hatfield said, completely unaware of the waves of discomfort radiating from the captain.

"Indeed," Atobe replied with that same confident drawl, though his eyes never left Sanada's, even as he took a sip from his cup; those lips were consistently quirked in what Sanada thought to be amusement.

"Everyone, this is Keigo Atobe," Hatfield continued his introductions. "He's currently staying in the South Wing of the building.

Finally, Atobe tore his gaze away and smiled charmingly at the group standing neatly behind their captain. Sanada let out his breath, even though he did not remember consciously holding it. _No wonder I felt tense, holding my breath for so long._ Of course, in reality, it wasn't very long at all.

"Lovely to meet you all," Atobe greeted with an extremely slow, and thus barely visible, nod.

A murmur of agreement sounded, causing Sanada to glance back briefly. Every single member of his team was staring at Atobe as if dumbfounded; yet another group taken in by his steady charisma and glowing beauty.

"Come," Mr. Hatfield said as he waved at the seats, "sit down sit down. I imagine you must all be hungry."

No one moved. Sanada barely contained the twitch in his eyebrow.

He cleared his throat. And his team snapped back into the presence, hurriedly seating themselves to hide their embarrassments.

Wit an aggravated groan threatening to escape, Sanada took the empty seat beside their host. And consequently, opposite Atobe.

Breakfast was mostly eaten in silence; Mr. Hatfield appeared too fond of food to interrupt his meal with trivial conversation. And none of his team members were particularly willing to discuss anything over the table, even with each other. The air felt strangely tense, and Sanada could not help but think that Atobe's presence was going to seriously affect them.

It was only not long after Mr. Hatfield had finished eating that a butler came in and whispered something into his ear. Being of relatively close proximity, Sanada knew it was something to do with a phone call. Mr. Hatfield's angry and dismay expression afterwards told them all they needed to know.

Nevertheless, Mr. Hatfield, after downing his orange juice, informed them all of an emergency he needed to take care of right away and that he was especially regretful to Sanada and his team that he would not be able to show them around the house today.

"Ah, it's also a shame that I cannot accompany you on a morning stroll, Atobe," Hatfield said, looking almost worried for not being able to provide the needs of his guests. "But…" he looked over at Sanada, who experienced a sudden, foreboding feeling travel through his body. "Sanada, why don't you walk with Atobe? The rose garden is lovely during this time of year, and I daresay Atobe makes a much more interesting tour guide than little old me."

A large part of Sanada wanted to refuse, to give the excuse of work, to decline from this favour as quick and efficient as possible. But this was their host, and they had not so much as stayed for a single day yet, the time frame still required him to give into such whims.

And so, he agreed, perfectly aware of the excited glances his team were exchanging over their luscious breakfast.

"Wonderful!" Mr Hatfield cried, dabbing his mouth and excusing himself from the table as he rushed off to deal with whatever had went wrong.

Atobe also excused himself, something about e-mails and duties before their 'lovely little stroll'. Sanada could not remember the exact wordings, he had been a little distracted with the way his team members all froze the moment Atobe spoke, and shamelessly turning their heads to stare as he sauntered out of the room.

The rest of breakfast went without any incident, for which Sanada was thankful for. But by the time they returned to their own private living room, or the communal relaxation centre, as one of his team so dubbed, the excitement from before had returned.

Sanada almost wished he could look forward to this 'day off', but the idea of spending an entire morning with an arrogant, stuck up version of Kei-chan did not really appeal to him. _Stop comparing them; just treat them as completely separate people._

He tried…and decided that he was not looking forward to spending an entire morning with an arrogant, stuck up, pampered and spoilt adult-brat.

But first, his team. "Today's assignment," he said to the neat row assembled before him, "is to familiarise yourself with our current environment, more specifically: our current residence. You may not leave the grounds of the mansion under any circumstances and must write a detailed report of all that you have found."

It wasn't a difficult assignment; the mansion grounds rivalled the size of the Inventory. He could practically feel the enthusiastic anticipation radiating from his teammate. "Dismissed."

A loud cheer erupted from them before he had even turned around to head to his room. Sanada almost started to worry, but he had hand-selected this team, they were smart and talented. Somehow, Sanada knew, they would turn this supposed day-off into valuable research.

The maid that guided him down to the library parlour (it lead to the rose garden through a beautiful set of French windows and apparently had the best starting point to view the florals) didn't open the door. Instead, she said in a quiet, albeit well-mannered, voice that 'Mr. Atobe is waiting inside' and left him standing alone, in front of the closed door without another word.

For a brief second, Sanada was tempted to turn on his heels and explore the rest of the house on his own. Noting the difference in technology, the designs of cars, or even the brick wall that surrounded the place. But the second passed, and Sanada stepped into the room.

Atobe was reading a leather bound book when he entered, but looked up almost immediately. Setting the classical text aside, Sanada noted it appeared to be some German literature, the overly-handsome person stood up.

Atobe gestured at an intricately designed archway, "Shall we?"

--_To be continued…_

Was it better, worse? You don't care you just love it? Or hate it? Please review and tell me your thoughts!


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